[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 24130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11239]


      
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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 5, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 24130]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Proposed Brownlee Timber Sale and Other Activities Within the 
Sheep Gulch Roadless Area, Payette National Forest, Washington County, 
Idaho

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service is proposing these activities for the 
Brownlee Subwatershed: harvest and regeneration of timber, changing the 
timing of grazing and combining the West Pine/Brownlee and Limestone 
Allotments, and prescribed fire to reduce fuels and enhance plant 
growth and mountain quail habitat.
    The agency gives notice of the environment analysis and decision-
making process so that interested and affected people know how they may 
anticipate and contribute to the final decision. The agency invites 
written comments and suggestions on the scope of the analysis and the 
issues to address.

DATES: Comments must be received by June 18, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to David Alexander, Forest Supervisor, 
Payette National Forest, P.O. Box 1026, McCall, Idaho 83638.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
should be directed to Dautis Pearson, NEPA Coordinator, phone (208) 
253-0134; or John Baglien, District Ranger, phone (208) 549-4201.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USDA Forest Service is proposing 
projects within the 45,011 acre Brownlee Subwatershed. About 4-6 MMBF 
of timber from 600-800 acres will be harvested by thinning and 
regeneration methods, using tractor, skyline, and helicopter logging 
systems. About 300-400 acres will be regenerated. No road construction 
is planned for the timber sale, which lies partially within the Sheep 
Gulch Roadless Area, Washington County, Idaho.
    This proposal follows direction in the Payette National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan.
    Proposals for the range allotments include changes in timing of 
grazing and combining the West Pine/Brownlee and Limestone Allotments. 
The number of days for grazing and the number of AUMs would remain the 
same for these allotments.
    Fire management activities would focus on reduction of fuels 
following timber harvest and reintroduction of fire into the ecosystem. 
Piling with burning and underburning of logged areas would reduce 
existing and created fuels, preparing some of these areas for planting. 
Fire would be reintroduced into vegetation communities that burn 
frequently (every 10 to 50 years) under natural disturbance regimes. 
Prescribed fire activities would occur on a total of about 4,000 acres 
of open ponderosa pine stands, aspen communities, and grass/shrublands 
to enhance plant growth and diversity.
    Preliminary issues identified are roadless area quality, forest 
health in stringer habitat, and the economic and resource effects of 
longer return intervals into the subwatershed.
    Initial scoping began in October, 1997. The Forest Service is 
conducting preliminary analysis and will be seeking additional 
information, comments, and assistance from Federal, State, and local 
agencies and other individuals or organizations who may be interested 
or affected by the proposed projects. Additional input will help 
identify key issues and develop alternatives in preparation of the 
draft EIS.
    The scoping process includes:

    1. Identification of potential issues.
    2. Identification of issues to be analyzed in depth.
    3. Elimination of insignificant issues or those which have been 
covered by a relevant previous environmental process.
    4. Exploration of additional alternatives based on the issues 
identified during scoping.
    5. Identification of potential environmental effects of the 
proposed action and alternatives.

    The Forest Service expects to file the draft EIS with the 
Environmental Protection Agency and have it available for public review 
by July 1, 1999. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days 
from the date the Environmental Protection Agency's notice of 
availability appears in the Federal Register.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important 
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of 
DEISs must structure their participation in the environmental review of 
the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency to the 
reviewer's positions and contentions. Vermont Yankee Power Corp. v. 
NRDC 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, courts may waive or dismiss 
environmental objections that could be raised at the DEIS stage but 
that are not raised until after completion of the final environmental 
impact statement (FEIS). City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016 1022 
(9th Cir. 1986), and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 
1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it is very 
important that those interested in this proposed action participate by 
the close of the 45 day comment period so that substantive comments and 
objections are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it 
can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the FEIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
raised by the proposed action, comments should be as specific as 
possible. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Regulations for 
implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental 
Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    The Responsible Official is David F. Alexander, Forest Supervisor, 
Payette National Forest.

    Dated: April 28, 1999.
Carol Feider,
Operations Branch Chief.
[FR Doc. 99-11239 Filed 5-4-99; 8:45 am]
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